Into the Story: Another Game (HnKnA)
by Dreamer200
Summary: The game ended with Alice's death many years ago. Now there are new foreigners. Four of them. Four perfectly normal-well, not perfectly-17 year old girls, all best friends since their 6th grade year. Now the game can begin again... Rated T to be safe. No Flames Please. Reviews welcome. JuliusxOC ElliotxOC BloodxOCxAce PeterxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own HnKnA, just Maddie, Penelope, Gabrielle, and Avery, and certain parts of the plot. :)**

* * *

Maddie's POV

"Maddie! We're coming in!" exclaims a familiar voice. I don't try to bar the door as my three best friends come barging into my room. I smile in greeting, but soon return to my book. It's the Alice in the Country of Hearts manga. I've read the series about three times, but it's still really good. I'm such a sucker for love stories and the like. Avery jumps onto my bed while Gabrielle collapses onto my mini couch and Penelope sits on the nearby ottoman.

"Where you been? Don't tell me you've cooped yourself up here all day!" says Penelope as she pulls out her phone and starts texting.

"Yep. It's one of my lazy days." I reply.

Avery scoffs and shuts my book before I can protest. I gape at her. I didn't even mark my place!

"Well, we're going to change that! Come on, Bookworm. We're going for a walk." she grins.

I make a face. "Yeah, but you made me lose my place." I object, poking her hard in her side. She yelps at the Taze. "Now we're even."

Avery merely sticks out her tongue like a 5 year old.

"Well are we going or not? I'd like to get home before the end of the year." comments Gabrielle playfully.

"Yeah, okay. Hold on, I'm coming." I answer, jumping off of the bed and pulling on my tennis shoes.

* * *

3rd Person POV

Nightmare studied the four girls in the bedroom. They seemed like interesting enough foreigners. Like they'd put a twist in the game. One girl, a petite blonde, sat beside the small couch, grinning teasingly at her friends, cornflower-blue eyes twinkling in delight. The girl beside her had long curly dark auburn-brown hair, with gray eyes. She held a phone on which she texted, not unlike most teenagers from their world. The other two girls sat on the bed. The first, a fairly pretty brunette with not-quite-dark-blue eyes. She looked as if she was trying to convince the other to do something. The second girl's dark brown hair fell over her face as she became engrossed in the book she read. Large, thickly eye-lashed dark amber eyes traveled quickly over the text. She was interrupted as the first girl shut her book in front of her. The second girl gaped at her in surprise. It was a bit amusing, her expression.

The Incubus heard the clearing of a throat and turned around to find the very role-holders he'd been expecting: Peter, Ace, and the Bloody Twins. Nightmare had been worried about having Dee and Dum help retrieve the foreigners, but was eventually convinced. No one else would do it. Nightmare waved away the image of the girls and then greeted his guests.

"Who are the foreigners, then?" asked Peter, getting straight to the point and looking very uninterested.

He'd never seemed to have quite gotten over Alice. If only he knew what became of her, thought Nightmare. The girl had passed away some 150 years ago, though only a couple of years passed in the Country of Hearts.

"They are four 17 year old girls who go by the names of Avery Gilmore, Maddie Bryant, Penelope Archer, and Gabrielle Kingston. I trust you know the procedures on bringing an Outsider into the Country of Hearts?" said Nightmare. The four role-holders nodded in reply.

He pointed out which role-holder was to retrieve which of the friends and sent them quickly on their way. There was no time to lose. Everything had to be just right. This would be quite an entertaining game.

* * *

Maddie's POV

The crisp fall air gently brushes against my face. I've always loved autumn. Unfortunately, Penelope and Avery are interrupting my zoning-out.

"Hey Maddie. You're sprinting in the spring, right?" asked Penelope.

I nod in reply. "Of course!"

I try to go back to daydreaming, but my friends insist on dragging me into reality kicking and screaming.

"Hey, do you guys want to play around with the Frisbee?" asks Gabrielle, pulling a tie-dye disk out of a bag that I notice was slung over her shoulder.

"Sure." we all agree.

We spread out around in the grass, passing it between us. At times, we have to jump in order to catch it. Especially Avery's throws. Let's just say she doesn't have the best aim. At one point, Gabrielle throws it to me, and I miss the Frisbee as it flies into the trees behind me. Gabrielle sighs as she chases after it and disappears in the greenery. Avery collapses beneath a large oak and leans her head against the trunk.

She looks up at it, thinks for a moment, and then starts to climb.

"Avery, what are you doing?" I ask. I swear that girl is part monkey.

"What does it look like? I'm climbing a tree."

"Why? Gabrielle's coming right back. You'll just have to get back down."

She ignores me and continues to climb.

"Hey, guys?" asks Penelope, distracted. "Do you think we should look for her? I mean, it shouldn't be taking this long."

Avery jumps down from her spot in the tree and looks around the park, as if Gabrielle would just stroll by us.

"Yeah. Why don't you and I go look for her?" she asks Penelope. Then she turns to me. "You can stay here in case she comes back."

Penelope and I nod. They go into the trees, starting to call Gabrielle's name. Where is she? Seriously, how does it take this long to find a Frisbee? A Frisbee? I wait patiently for a while. That's when I decide to just go look for her on my own. I walk to the woods, opening my mouth to call Gabrielle's name, when suddenly the ground opens up in front of me. A gaping pit in the middle of the park. Well that's something you don't see everyday. I stand back, waiting to see if anything will come jumping out, like a monster of something. That'd be pretty cool, now that I think about it. Nothing happens. I walk a little closer to the hole and lean over a bit to try to see the bottom, if there is one. All I can see is blackness. Weird. Then I feel the forceful hands on my back and I tumble down into the pit.

I scream at the top of my lungs as I plummet down, farther and farther into the hole. "No! I'm too young to die!"

"You're not gonna die. What made you think that?" asks a voice, perfectly calm, despite the fact that we're falling at a crazy speed. I look up as best I can and see I'm being accompanied by a boy in a blue soldier outfit. He must be the one who pushed me in.

"Are you crazy? We're falling! I hate heights!" I yell back. There's a light coming up ahead. Funny, in most movies they're all like, "Stay away from the light!" and here we are going straight towards it.

"You're not going to die." chuckles the boy, his laughter ringing in my ears as the light swallows me whole.

* * *

Gabrielle's POV (earlier...)

I sigh as I run into the woods behind Maddie. Good job, Gabrielle. You threw it as far as you could and where does it get you? Running around in the woods chasing after a Frisbee. I get to a clearing and stop for a minute. Where could it have gone? So much for the bright ideas. Then I hear the rustling in the bushes. I look up to see a pretty cute, but crazily tall guy step out of the trees. With his bright red and black trench-coat-looking outfit, I'm surprised I didn't spot him from miles away.

"Excuse me." he says. "Would you happen to be Gabrielle Kingston?"

Uh, weird guy who knows my name, get away from me! "Um, yeah. Why?" I answer.

In response, I suddenly feel myself being lifted off the ground. "What the-" I exclaim as the guy throws me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I start to kick him, trying to get him to put me down. "What do you think you're doing?" I yell at him.

He frowns. "Please calm down, Gabrielle. I can't go as fast when you struggle and kick."

I groan. "That's kind of the point! I don't exactly enjoy being carried by some creepy stranger who knows my name!"

"Then I'm guessing you won't be enjoying this." comments the guy. I'm about to ask what the heck he's talking about, when he throws me. I expect to hit the ground, but realize I'm falling. I scream as I speed quickly down into the earth.

* * *

Penelope's POV

Oh. My. Gosh. What just happened? One minute I'm in the woods of the park, having split up from Avery to find Gabrielle, the next thing I know, this man with bunny ears is kidnapping me and taking me down a gigantic hole. Now I've landed here, trying to figure out where 'here' is. I see the bunny-man coming towards me.

"Penelope, are you okay?" he asks. "I forget how delicate Outsiders can be after falling through the portal."

"Excuse me?" I say, backing up as he comes closer. "What do you mean, 'Outsiders'? How can you kidnap a teenage girl, carry them down a hole leading to who-knows-where and expect them to be 'okay'?"

He reaches into his plaid jacket to reveal a glass bottle with a heart-shaped stopper. "You're in Wonderland. Your other questions will be answered soon enough." he replies, kneeling down and leaning close to me. "Do you like games, Penelope?" he murmurs before draining the vial of its contents and pressing his mouth against mine. I open my mouth in surprise, something I instantly regret doing. He's making me drink it, I realize! I try to shove him away, but it's no use. Only when there's nothing left, does he finally let me go. I turn to the side, trying to cough it up.

"What *cough* did you *cough cough* make me drink?" I say between gags and coughs.

"It's known as the Potion of Hearts. Once you drink it, you have to play the game. Oh, and I'm Peter White, by the way." he answers as he starts to turn away.

"Wait, what's the game?" I ask when I get it through my head that my attempts aren't working, but he doesn't reply and only walks away until he disappears completely, leaving me on my own. Okay, this is not cool. What did he say this place was? Wonderland? Like "Alice in Wonderland"? That's crazy, though. Everything's out of place. How is the white rabbit a guy with bunny ears who kidnaps people? I thought it was literally a rabbit. Shouldn't it be, though? Questions keep popping into my head. I try to stand on wobbly legs and notice I'm on the roof of a building. I should probably see if there's anyone around. There's a staircase leading down and so I follow them, hoping to find someone to bombard with questions. I'm already feeling sorry for them in advance. Poor random person who has the unfortunate luck of stumbling upon a kidnapped teenage girl who had her first kiss stolen by a wacky guy with bunny ears.


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie's POV

I wake up to something in my mouth. What the heck? The blurriness in my vision subsides enough that I can tell something is being held to my lips. My eyes widen in surprise as I try to sit up and back away, but I'm held down. I feel a liquid stream into my mouth. It's like an overly sweet strawberry.

"I didn't lie when I said you weren't going to die." I realize the boy is sitting on top of me, holding a clear vial above me, the level of liquid inside it decreasing quickly. I struggle, but his boots hold my arms down. I can't exactly kick him either. "Be obedient and swallow." he orders. How old is this kid? 14? 15? I refuse to swallow, the liquid growing warm in my mouth. Why can't I just spit it out? The boy sighs and reaches over my face to plug my nose with his fingers. I finally succumb to air and swallow. All of it.

The boy lets go of me and I sit up gagging, trying to bring it back up. He starts laughing.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

I glare at him. "What do you think? I'm trying to throw up whatever you gave me."

"That's no use." he replies. "Once you swallow the Potion of Hearts, you have to play the game. There's no getting out of it."

I freeze. The Potion of Hearts. Wasn't that in the manga? And the boy, I notice I never got his name.

"My name is Dee. Tweedle Dee if you want to be formal, but what's the point? You are Maddie Bryant, right?" the boy says.

"No, I'm the Queen of England." I say sarcastically. Okay, that does it. The Potion of Hearts, this kid's name being Tweedle Dee like the Bloody Twins, going down a giant hole. This is getting a little too real for comfort.

"Really?"

"No." It's this modern thing we use called sarcasm, buddy. Get used to it.

"Then welcome to Wonderland, Maddie!"

I stand up and see I'm in what looks like a rose garden. Nearby stands huge mansion. No way. No freaking way! Of all the places I could have landed, it just happens to be in the rose gardens of the Hatter Mansion. This is one crazy dream.

"Dee! Dum! Where the h*** are you two?" yells a voice that's coming closer. From around a hedge comes another man with bunny ears, but his are brown like a hare's. Of course. Where would the Bloody Twins be without Elliot March, AKA the March Hare? He sees Dee and frowns as he approaches us.

"Dee, where's Dum? You two weren't at your posts again!" he scolds.

"We were given a job to do." Dee replies. "Brother is with one of the other Outsiders."

Other Outsiders? There're others? Does that mean Avery, Penelope, and Gabrielle made it through too?

"And what was this job, exactly?" questions Elliot.

"It's a secret. Don't you just love secrets, cheeky bunny rabbit?" taunts Dee, laughing. The hare scowls in frustration. His glare turns to me.

"And who'd you be?" he demands.

"My name's Maddie. Maddie Bryant." I answer in the most normal voice I can manage. For one of my favorite characters in the manga, Elliot sure is intimidating at first.

Elliot looks back at Dee. "Is she an Outsider?" he asks.

Dee's silent for a moment, but slowly nods. The man sighs. "Who gave you the job?"

"Nightmare." the boy says.

He forces a smile. "Why am I not surprised?"

Dee shrugs.

"Rhetorical question, Idiot." mumbles Elliot. "You're not very good at keeping secrets, are you?"

He immaturely sticks out his tongue at the man and runs off towards the mansion.

"You're welcome to stay here, if you'd like. I doubt that retard answered any of your questions." Elliot says to me, frowning at the disappearing shape of Dee.

I nod. "Thanks." He leads me through the gardens towards the Hatter's Mansion. It looms over the gardens, the house's massive shape making a giant shadow over the newly-bloomed roses. This would be one heck of an adventure.

* * *

Avery's POV

"Drink it."

"No."

"Drink it."

"I already told you, 'no'!"

"Drink. This. Now."

"No! I refuse!"

The way to get someone to drink a mysterious liquid isn't to shove it in their face and tell them repeatedly to 'drink it'. Someone tell that to this kid who thinks he's older than me and who shoved me down a huge hole in the ground.

"Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here?"

"I won't tell you." the boy insists, crossing his arms stubbornly over his red soldier outfit.

"Why not?" To say I'm getting a little frustrated here is an understatement.

In reply, he tightens his arms and turns around, refusing to answer.

I take a deep breath, attempting to hold my temper. "If I drink this, will you answer me?" I say through gritted teeth.

At that, the boy spins around, his startlingly red eyes wide. He quickly nods and hands me the bottle with the heart-shaped stopper. The pink liquid inside sloshes around with the sudden movement. I eye it carefully, before taking it and consuming the contents. I try not to focus on the sickeningly sweet taste. I get the urge to cough after I swallow, but it goes as suddenly as it came. I turn to the boy and hand him the bottle. He smiles as if I've been tricked. I probably have. Oh well, tricks are fun to play, but their even more fun to get out of.

"My name is Dum. You're in the Country of Hearts, and now that you drank the Potion of Hearts, you have to play the game." he says.

"What's the game?" I ask, but he's already leaving. I have to run to catch up with him. I realize we're in a maze of some sort. There are a few rose bushes, but mainly it's very tall hedges that I can't see over.

"The game is what all foreigners play, whether they want to or not, once they've taken the Potion of Hearts." he replies, still walking crazily fast. I'm trying to listen to what he's saying, so of course I don't see the chest I bump into. I look up to see a man with shaggy black hair and piercing green eyes staring at me. He's handsome for sure, but something abut him is a bit off. I can't put my finger on it. He sets down the rose and cutters he was holding and turns back to me, flashing a smile that could make any girl swoon, with the exception of myself. I'm not exactly the romantic type.

"S-sorry." I mutter in embarrassment. Yeah I'm not interested, but that doesn't mean I think he's by far the most attractive guy I've ever seen in my 17 years.

Dum sees the man and straightens immediately. "Boss!" he exclaims. Boss? Of what?

"Dum. I see you're off duty yet again." observes the man. He looks to me. "Hello. I don't believe we've met. My name is Blood DuPre. What might your name be?"

"I'm Avery Gilmore." I reply, not expecting him to reach for my hand and kiss the back of it. I feel my cheeks flame slightly. Where did all the gentlemen in the world go?

"Pleasure." he says with a smirk.

Dum clears his throat. "Uh, Boss, I was just taking the foreigner-" Blood cuts him off.

"Foreigner? Why do you have a foreigner with you?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

The boy covers his mouth instantly but tries to regain his composure. "I was given a job. I need to complete it. In fact-"

Blood interrupts him yet again. "I think you've already completed it."

The man grabs my arm and pulls me away from Dum, taking me towards a giant house at the center of the maze.

He opens the door for me and I step inside to see a huge entrance-way, decorated with crystal chandeliers, old paintings, a marble staircase, velvet curtains, and all that jazz. It literally looks like a mini Versailles.

"Welcome to the Hatter Mansion." says Blood.

* * *

Gabrielle's POV

"I'm pretty sure the Clock Tower is this way." says Ace over his shoulder.

I roll my eyes. He said that a few hours ago and we ended up at a place called the Amusement Park. The guy who owns it, Gowland, wasn't too happy to see us there. He shooed us away.

"Yeah, okay." I answer, positive that we'll end up at some other crazy place in this country. I still have no idea how I got here. A rabbit hole? That doesn't make sense. How is there an entire country underground? The forest starts to fade away until we come to a huge building that's at least 800 feet tall.

"See? What'd I tell you?" exclaims Ace with a grin.

"You told me you knew the way. It took you two times to get it right."

"Hey, give me a break. How was I supposed to know where we landed?" he replies, going up a staircase. I follow him.

The stairs seem to go on forever. Finally we get to a door which Ace opens to reveal a small apartment-looking space. It's even messier than my room, which is saying something. At the center, sits a man fiddling with clocks. He looks up at us.

"Ace. Who have you brought now?" he asks, putting down his tools and standing. His navy hair is longer than I've ever seen on a guy, part of it tied back in a gold ribbon.

"Good morning to you too, Julius." mumbles Ace. He turns slightly towards me. "This is Gabrielle Kingston. She's one of the new foreigners."

Julius' blue eyes narrow. "Why do you have another foreigner with you? How is there more than one?"

Ace shrugs. "Nightmare gave us, me, the Bloody Twins, and Peter, the job of bringing four foreigners here. I don't know why. I think he wants a new game."

Julius mutters something under his breath.

I realize Ace said four foreigners. "Ace, what were the names of the other foreigners?" I ask.

He scratches his head, as if trying to remember. "Uh, I don't know. I think he said something about Avery Gilmore and...oh what's her name? Oh, Bryant I think was her last name. I'm not sure."

Hooray! I'm not alone in this crazy place! I mentally do a happy dance.

Julius clears his throat. "I guess you'll be wanting to stay here, then?"

I nod. "If that's okay with you guys."

"Very well. Ace if you could show her to a bedroom?" he says.

Ace takes me down a hallway to one of the last rooms. It's small, but comfy, with a view over some of the Country of Hearts. I love it already. He starts to close the door, but stops before it's completely closed.

"Hey, Gabrielle? Don't mind Julius. He can be really cold at first, but he lightens up once you get to know him."

"Okay, thanks." I answer. He leaves and I collapse onto the bed. Outside, the sunlight comes through the window and onto my face, but the warmth is short-lived. All of a sudden, the sky changes from mid-day to midnight. What the heck? Even the time is crazy here. I begin to doze off, hoping this all is just a wacky dream and I'll wake up from it soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally! The 3rd Chapter! Woohoo! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HnKnA.**

**Note: When describing places in Wonderland, I do it based on how I imagine them, and not necessarily how they're portrayed in the manga, anime, etc. **

* * *

Penelope's POV

I wake up to hear the sound of soft knocking on the door. Ugh, it's too early for this. Groaning, I turn on a light, stumble to the door and open it to come face to face with the Clockmaster himself.

"Uh, can I help you?" I ask, wearily. What time is it? Midnight? 4:00? I've been at the Clock Tower ever since I got here, and I still have yet to get used to the random time changes.

"I just thought you should know that another foreigner has found her way here. Does the name Gabrielle Kingston mean anything to you?"

Okay. I'm awake! "Of course! We've been best friends since 6th grade. Where is she?" I exclaim. Yay! That could mean Maddie and Avery made it through, too!

"She's asleep, but I'll let you know when she wakes up." he answers.

"And that's what I should be doing."

Julius nods, agreeing, and starts to walk away.

"Hey Julius." I call after him. He turns back to me.

"Don't you ever sleep? It's like 3:00 in the morning."

"Only when I have the need to. Good night, Penelope." he responds. How does he stay awake? Maybe that's why he can be so crabby sometimes. Oh well. I shut the door and get back under the oh-so-warm blankets, drifting off to sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_I'm surrounded by mist. I can hardly see anything. _

_"Hello?" I call out. There's no response. Then I hear it. _

_"Hey! Hello! Anyone there?!" _

_I follow the voice until I find its owner. Standing there is Gabrielle in the same clothes as when I saw her last, arms crossed and looking extremely grumpy. I run up to hug her from behind._

_"Oomph!" she grunts, trying to turn and see who's embracing her. "What the-" _

_"Hey, Gabby!" I say, grinning. I let her go enough so that she can turn around._

_"Penelope! Oh my gosh! You're actually here!" she laughs, as if she can't believe it. _

_"I know, this is so crazy, right? I mean, where have we landed? This place is insane!" _

_"Yes, of course to an Outsider this place would be, wouldn't it?" a deep voice interrupts us. We both look to see a man floating a few feet above us. He has silvery hair and eyes, with an eye-patch that makes him scream either 'bandit' or 'pirate'. I go with 'pirate'. _

_"Who are you?" asks Gabrielle. _

_"I am Nightmare Gottschalk, an Incubus of Dreams. I brought you here in the first place."_

_"What? Why?" I say. I never wanted to be here. _

_"It had gotten so boring with no game anymore. Foreigners always make things a bit more exciting." he answers casually. I expect him to start yawning and make a scene about it too._

_"What's this game anyways?" Gabrielle crosses her arms. _

_"The game? The game is for you and your friends to return home. But games aren't always easy, are they? Everyone in the Country of Hearts will fall in love with you, in some way or another."_

_"Say what?" I cry out. "Is that why Peter forced me to drink that Potion?" _

_Nightmare nods, continuing. "Also, part of the game involves a power struggle. The Country of Hearts is divided into four sections. First, there's the Castle of Hearts, controlled by Vivaldi, the Queen of Hearts. Secondly, there's the Amusement Park, which is controlled by Gowland. Thirdly, there's the Hatter Mansion, the home of the Mafia boss Blood DuPre. Lastly, there's the Clock Tower, which is the only neutral zone and is inhabited by Julius Monrey."_

_"How do we get home?" Gabrielle questions. _

_"To return, you must interact with the people of Wonderland. In time, the level of liquid inside the bottle you received upon entry will rise. Once it is full, you may drink the contents and go back to your world."_

_"Just like that? This should be easy." I say._

_"Not as easy as you think, Foreigner." corrects Nightmare. "Our time is up for now. I will say no more until the time is right." _

_He fades away into the mist before either of us can stop him._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

My eyes snap open to the cream-colored ceiling above the bed. That whole thing felt so real. Throwing my feet over the side, I expect to feel my fuzzy slippers on the carpet, but instead find the hard wood of the Clock Tower bedroom. So this place actually exists. What about the dream I had? Did that actually happen? I go through my morning routine to wake up as best as best as I can without my usual products, and go to the kitchen for breakfast. There's no one in sight as I pour myself a bowl of cereal and sit to dig in. Minutes pass and still no one. I finish, put away my dishes, and go to the main room. Julius sits at his desk, still working on clocks.

"Don't you ever stop to sleep? I mean, seriously. How can you possibly stay awake all night and not be tired?" I ask him again.

He looks up, clearly surprised to see me. "I get used to it. My job is very time-consuming." he replies simply.

I sit on a nearby chair, watching him work.

"You slept well?" he returns to the clock he's fixing.

"Yeah, pretty much. I had a weird dream, but that's about it." I answer.

"I apologize for waking you up last night. I forget how much Foreigners tend to sleep. It's been so long..." Julius trails off.

At that moment, a familiar voice rings from the kitchen. "Hey, Julius? Do you have any fruit?" Gabrielle pokes her head out of the door.

"Yes, in the cupboard." he responds, still not looking up.

Gabrielle nods and starts to go back, when she sees me. "Penelope!" she exclaims. "You're actually here! I can't believe it!"

We hug tightly and tell each other about all that happened to us. I leave out the part about the dream I had, and she doesn't mention it.

After we get over the shock that we're both here, Gabrielle goes off to eat breakfast. I decide that if, in fact, we'll be here for a while, I might as well get used to the area and leave to explore the Country of Hearts.

* * *

Avery's POV

A faceless maid leads me to my room. At first, I was majorly freaked out, but then Blood explained the difference between Role-Holders and everyone else. It's still a bit disturbing, though. The room itself is very fancy, much like the rest of the house. The maid lays out some extra towels in the bathroom and shows me a panel where I have to only press a button and one of the staff will come help me with whatever I need, before leaving and shutting the door behind her. I shower off in the bathroom, and then choose one of the many dresses in the wardrobe. The least elaborate is a green and black gown with two spaghetti straps on each shoulder and a large bow below each pair.

.Just as a precaution, I throw on my skinny jeans and boots below the dress. My hair, I just braid to the side. Once I deem myself presentable, I walk out into the hallway, prepared to begin exploring. Instead, I come face-to-face with the maid from before. She curtsies.

"Oh, Miss Gilmore." she says. "Master DuPre had just sent me to fetch you. He's waiting in the library. "

"Okay, lead the way." I answer, following her down corridors until we get to a large double-door entrance. She holds it open for me and I go inside. The place is filled with hundreds of books, some shelves reaching as high as the tall ceiling. It's a bit like the library in 'Beauty and the Beast'.

To one side of the library stands Blood, and with him two other figures. One, I recognize immediately, with her thick, dark ponytail and sports bag slung over her shoulder. Maddie! The other, I have no idea. His back is turned, but from what I can tell, he has a chin-length yellow-orange mop of hair and long, brown rabbit ears sticking out of his head. Who has bunny ears that look that natural? Blood sees me and motions me over.

"Ah, Avery. I see you discovered the wardrobe in your room." he comments, looking at my dress.

I nod. "Yeah. I just wish they all weren't so fancy."

Both Maddie and the rabbit-guy turn around. My best friend's eyes grow huge as she takes in my appearance.

"Avery! You're here! Ohmigosh! And you're wearing a dress! You look so pretty!" she runs and hugs me tightly. I return the embrace. We release each other and she takes a moment to look me up and down.

Blood motions to the rabbit-man. "Avery, this is my associate, Elliot March. Elliot, I'd like you to meet Miss Avery Gilmore."

Elliot grins at me, blue eyes twinkling. He's actually not that bad looking, and he has a playful look about him that makes me want to get to know him. "Hi." he says, holding out a hand. I shake it with a genuine smile.

"Uh, just wondering," I gesture to his ears. "Are those real? I mean, are they actually attached to you?"

He chuckles. "Last I checked, they were."

"So does that mean you have, like, really good hearing or something?"

"Pretty good. Better than I would if they were normal."

"Uh-oh." says Maddie. "Better get ready for 'Interrogation with Avery'."

"No, I was done with my questions, thank you very much." I reply.

She scoffs, "That's a first."

"Ha-ha, very funny." I respond sarcastically. I have to admit, though, once I get started asking questions, I never stop.

Another maid enters and curtsies. What is it with the curtsies and bows? I get its polite, but it's a bit annoying. Somebody give these people some self-esteem so they'll quit trying to put themselves below us!

"Master DuPre." she says quietly. "Lunch is served."

"Thank you. We will be there in a moment." he answers. She leaves and he turns back to us. "Shall we?"

Maddie and I both nod, realizing out hunger with the growling of our stomachs. Blood offers Maddie his arm and she takes it. Elliot just walks side by side with me as we proceed to the waiting table in the garden filled with all kinds of food. With this much, I'm a bit worried to see what dinner looks like. It's a nice setting, though. The sun is high in the sky, surrounded by fluffy white clouds, with the roses around us in full bloom. But just as we sit down, the sky changes from day to night. Weird. No one seems fazed by it either. Not even Maddie. What's with her? It's like she already knows this place...

Wait. What did she say the name of that manga was? Alice in the Country of Hearts? That's what Dum said this place was called. But that's silly, right? How could we have fallen into the book? That's absolutely, totally, utterly impossible...right?


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I apologize for the MEGA delay. I've been super busy lately and finally got the chance to update. They'll start being more frequent, most likely every other Saturday. I think I'm also going to change the way the POV's are set up. I'll just have one or two per chapter. Btw, I'm trying to work on character development right now, but I would _love_ any suggestions for the story! PM's or comments are welcome and much appreciated! :D**

* * *

Maddie's POV

I don't like tea. Of course I'm invited to the tea party where there's nothing BUT tea.  
"Miss, what kind of tea would you like?" The faceless maid asks.  
"Um, do you have water?" I reply.  
"We can prepare the tea for you, Miss. You don't need to do it yourself."  
"No, I mean just plain water. Like to drink? I don't really like tea."  
At that the whole table goes silent. Blood, Elliot, Dee, Dum, and every Faceless stares at me, dumbfounded. Avery looks just as confused as I felt. I didn't said it _that_ loudly, did I?

"What do you mean, you "don't really like tea"?" says Blood, raising an eyebrow.  
Oh bleep. I'm in for it. I've never seen anyone tell Blood they didn't like tea since he's a tea-fanatic, but it never sounded like it'd be pretty. Nice going, Bryant.  
Elliot gives me a look that says _Why the heck did you say that?_  
Blood, on the other hand, gives me an almost menacing glare.  
"I apologize Miss Bryant, there is no water, only tea. That is implied, as this is a _tea_ party," he says, both calm and annoyed.

"But I was wondering if there was anything other than tea. Haven't you ever met anyone who doesn't like tea?" I ask.

"No, and if they have, they weren't as direct as you in mentioning their dislike of it."

That has good news and bad news. The good news, I'm the first to do something for once, and the bad news, that makes this situation a whole lot harder.

"Anyways," says Avery clearing her throat, trying to change the subject. "So Elliot, if you're not a rabbit, how come you have ears like one and eat carrot things?"  
It takes him a minute to register that she asked him a question. Elliot makes a face. "These are hare ears, and I don't like carrots, just carrot-flavored things. Like this carrot cake for example!" With that he digs into a slice on his plate.  
"You're not a rabbit or a hare, you're a pig!" says Dee. He and Dum snicker at his joke.  
Avery smirks at the ridiculousness of it all.

I take a bite of a cookie, noticing Blood is continuing to look at me as he sips a cup of tea. Not really glaring, but not gazing either. Just studying. I look at my own cup of dark liquid. It can't be horrific if practically everyone in the Country of Hearts likes it, can it? I lift it from the table and up to my nose. It doesn't smell horrible, but I'm still unsure.  
"I thought you didn't like tea," says Blood.  
"I don't, but I'm trying it anyways," I answer. "What kind is it?"  
"Black tea."

I take a sip, and then quickly put it back down on the table. A bit sloshes out onto the red tablecloth.  
Nothing has changed. It still tastes bad.  
I shake my head, making a disgusted face. "I still don't like it."  
Blood sighs and rises from his chair.  
"I'll be inside." he says to the table, and walks back to the mansion.  
Where's he going? I get up and follow him. He walks through the maze of hallways, going to who-knows-where. Suddenly I'm stopped by a maid.

"Excuse me, Miss. Are you lost?" she asks, standing between me and Blood, who's stopping at a door.  
"Um...uh..." I try to make up something. Should I say yes? Come up with an alibi?  
Blood turns around when I speak. Dangit. There goes my spy career.  
"She was with me," he says.  
Wait, what? Why did he do that?  
The maid turns around. "Oh," she curtsies. "Of course, Master DuPre. I apologize."

She quickly walks off. I turn back to Blood and he motions for me to follow him inside. I do so and find myself in the library. He hangs up his coat and hat on the post. I stand in awe at all the books. Blood turns back to me and takes a step forward. I take a step back into the wall. Just great. He places a hand just beside my head, making me realize just how much of a height difference there is between my 5'7" and his 6-foot-something.  
"I don't enjoy being followed, Miss Bryant," he whispers.  
"Maddie." I correct. "I'd like it if people called me Maddie."  
"Maddie, then."  
Could he say my name any more perfectly? Internal fan-girling going on right now!

"Either way, what were you doing?"  
"I...I don't know. I was wondering were you were going."  
"Curiosity killed the cat."  
"Satisfaction brought it back." I respond.  
A slight smirk crosses his face, but it quickly disappears. He takes his hand off the wall and walks to the book shelves. I silently breathe a sigh of relief. That was so nerve-wracking.

"Do you read Maddie?" he asks.  
I nod eagerly. "Then you will have to come view my collection sometime."  
"Thank you," I say, smiling.  
"Your welcome. Perhaps I'll be able to know you better than the tea-loathing girl I've seen so far."  
"Uh, yeah. I'll do that, thanks. But right now I'm a little tired." I say, gesturing to the door.  
Blood nods. "Of course."  
I hurry out and go to my room, collapsing onto the bed. It's still night outside. Exhausted from the day's events, I close my eyes and quickly drift into the waiting abyss of sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_I open my eyes to a gray fog. Great. The "Meet and Greet, Starring Nightmare Gottschalk" Dream. Are there no normal dreams in The Country of Hearts, or what?_  
_"Hello, Maddie Bryant." says a voice that's so serious it's almost funny._  
_I turn around and find Pirate-Dude himself floating behind me._

_"Hi." I say, giving a little wave. "So what do you want? I already know what the deal is. Four territories, 12 role-holders that all for some reason represent characters in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland',-"_  
_"That man's book was complete nonsense," interrupts Nightmare._  
_"Yeah, okay. Anyways, as I was saying, I already know what you're going to tell me." I cross my arms, although I know I'm sounding like a complete know-it-all._

_"This is not just a story from your bookshelf, Maddie. This is real now. You are a part of the game. Alice is gone. It was time for new foreigners, and this time I made a change. Now there are four of you."_  
_"Meaning Gabrielle and Penelope are here too?"_  
_Nightmare nods, but then suddenly starts coughing up blood._  
_I sigh and back away, careful not to get sprayed. "Honestly, why don't you just go to a hospital already?"_  
_"I hate hospitals and injections. If you know everything I'm going to say, you should already know that!" he says._  
_"Yeah, can I wake up now?"_  
_Nightmare finally stops coughing enough to look at me, panting and tired._  
_"Very well." he answers, straightening and brushing himself off._  
_The fog disappears and I'm floating in darkness._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

I wake up with a start. It's bright outside, signaling another time change. Maybe Avery will go exploring with me today. I still need to see the Clock Tower, Amusement Park, and Heart Palace. As if reading my mind, the door opens and she pops her head in. "Hey Maddie! Wanna go look around this place?"


End file.
